Log for cabins and the like



Jan. 2, 1934. R WARD 1,942,348

LOG FOR CABINS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 13 1931 Patented Jan. 2, 1934UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to commercial and other buildings constructed inthe form of log cabins, I and more particularly to logs for use inconstructing the Walls of such buildings. The invention has for one ofits objects to provide logs of the character stated which will haverough outer sides so that externally the walls will appear as havingbeen made from undressed logs, which will have dressed inner sides so asto provide the walls with smooth inner surfaces that may be finishedover or polished as desired, and which will have upper and lower sidesso formed as to establish a wind and water proof connection between thelogs, as to prevent water from lodging between the logs and as to holdthe logs against bulging or movement relatively inwardly or outwardly.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the nature of which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of acabin wall made from logs constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on a plane extending verticallythrough a fragmentary portion of a cabin wall made from a slightlymodified form of the logs;

Figure 3 is a similar view of a fragmentary portion of a cabin wall madefrom a further modified form of the logs, and

Figure 4 is a similar view of a fragmentary portion of a cabin wall madefrom a still further modified form of the logs.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly to Figure l, ldesignates a fragmentary portion of a wall of a log cabin constructedfrom logs embodying my invention. The logs 2 are arranged horizontallyone upon the other to form the wall, and they have rough or undressedouter sides 3 and smooth inner sides 4. The lowermost or sill log of thewall has a smooth lower side 5, which is right angularly related to itssmooth inner side 4. The upper side of this log, and the correspondingsides of the other logs of the wall, are of such angular formationtransversely as to present downwardly and outwardly inclined portions 6and downwardly and inwardly inclined portions '7. The upper sideportions 6 are considerably greater in width than the upper sideportions '7. The lower sides of those logs located above the lowermostor sill log of the wall, are provided with recesses of such angularformation transversely as to present downwardly and outwardly inclinedportions 8:.and down: wardly and inwardly inclined portions 9. The lowerside portions 8 correspond in width and inclination to the upper sideportions 6, and the 0 lower side portions 9 correspond in width andinclination to the upper side portions 7.

The lower side portions 8 and 9 of one of the logs rest upon the upperside portions 6 and 7, respectively, of the next lower log, and theseside portions bear such angular relation to. the inner sides 4 of thelogs that the inner sides will be alined as the result of merelyassembling the logs with their upwardly projecting angular sides fittingin their angularly recessed lower sides.

In Figure 2 is shown a fragmentary portion 01 a wall of a log cabinconstructed from a slightly modified form of the logs. The wall and logsare here designated 1a and 2a, respectively. These logs have rough orundressed outer sides 3a and smooth inner sides 4a. The upper and lowersides of these logs are smooth and parallel and incline downwardly andoutwardly. These logs are provided in their upper inner corners withrecesses 11, and are provided at their lower inner corners withdownwardly directed tongues 12, the recesses and tongues extendingthroughout the entire length of the logs. The outer sides of therecesses 11 and the corresponding sides of the tongues 12, are straightand arranged in parallel relation to the inner sides 40. of the logs.The inner sides of the tongues 12 are arranged in alinement with thecorresponding sides 40. of the logs. The lower side 10 of one logcontacts with the upper side 10 of the next lower log, and 0 the tongues12 of one log occupies a recess 11 in the next lower wall. The upper andlower sides 10a of the logs and the contacting sides of the recesses 11and tongues 12 hear such angular relation to the inner sides 4a of thelogs that the inner sides will be alined as the result of merelyassembling the logs with the tongues fitting in the grooves. If desiredthe lower sides of the recesses 11 and the corresponding sides of thetongues 12 may incline downwardly and inward- 100 ly, as shown.

In Figure 3 is shown a fragmentary portion of a wall of a log cabinconstructedfrom a further modified form of the logs. The wall and logsare here designated 13 and 14, respectively. 105 These logs differ fromthe logs 2a in that they are provided with smooth outer sides 13. Thesmooth upper and lower sides of these logs are designated 17, and therecesses and tongues thereof are designated 18 and 19, respectively.

In Figure 4 is shown a fragmentary portion of a wall of a log cabinconstructed from a still further modified form of the logs. This walland the logs are here designated 20 and 21, respectlvely. These logshave smooth outer and inner sides 22 and 23, respectively, downwardlyand outwardly inclined upper sides 24, and tongues 25 extending upwardlyfrom the inner edges of the upper sides. These logs are providedinwardly of the tongues 25 with recesses 26, and are provided withdownwardly and outwardly inclined lower sides 27. Recesses 28 are formedin the inner edges of the lower sides 27, and tongues 29 extenddownwardly from these sides inwardly of these recesses. The tongues 25and 29 of the recesses 26 and 28 extend throughout the entire length ofthe logs, and the inner sides of the .tongues 29 are alined with theinner sides 23 of the logs. The tongues 25 and 29 of one of the logs fitin the recesses 28 and 26 of the next higher and lower logs,respectively. The upper and lower sides 24 and 2'7 of the logs and thecontacting sides of the tongues 25 and 29 and recesses 26 and 28 bearsuch angular relation to the inner sides 23 of the logs that the innersides will be alined as the result of merely assembling the logs withthe tongues in the recesses. I

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it will be understood that the logs havedownwardly and outwardly inclined smooth upper side portions which liein full abutting contact when the logs are in wall forming relation, andthat these downwardly and outwardly inclined and contacting sideportions have a width greater than one half the width of the logs, withthe result that they will establish a wind and water proof connectionbetween the logs and will prevent water from lodging between the logs.It is to be noted that this wind and water proof connection between thelogs is established without the necessity of chinking and without thenecessity of the use of strips recessed in the contacting sides of thelogs, and that this air and water proof connection is materially aidedby the downwardly and inwardly inclined contacting upper and lower sideportions of the logs 2 and the tongues and grooves of the logs 2a, 14and 21. Furthermore, the contacting upper and lower side portions of thelogs 2 hold the logs against bulging inwardly or outwardly and againstrelative movements inwardly or outwardly. The rough outer sides of theselogs and the corresponding inner sides of the logs 2a give the wallsbuilt therefrom the appearance of having been made from undressed logs.The interfitting tongues and grooves of the logs 2a, 14 and 21 holdthese logs against outward bulging and outwardly relative movement, andthe interfltting tongues and grooves of the logs 21 also hold these logsagainst bulging aaaaee and inward relative movement. The formation ofthe logs are such that they may be easily and quickly assembled in wallforming relation and when so assembled the walls formed thereby willhave smooth inner surfaces that may be finished over or polished asdesired.

While I have described the principle of the invention, together with thestructure which I now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, it isto be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative andthat such changesmay be made, when desired, as fall within the scope ofthe invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a log having a vertical side face, apair of parallel top and bottom surfaces extending inwardly from saidvertical face, a second pair of parallel top and bottom surfacesextending inwardly from the side face of the log opposite the saidvertical face and beyond the longitudinal center of the log andobliquely directed with respect to the said vertical face, and avertical face connecting the adjacent top and bottom surfaces, theextent of said vertical faces being the same whereby two of the logswhen juxtaposed will have the top surface and contacting vertical faceof one in firm contact throughout with the corresponding adjacent facesof the other.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a log having a vertical side face,top and bottom parallel surfaces each extending inwardly from the sideof the log opposite the vertical face beyond the longitudinal center ofthe log and obliquely to the said vertical face, an upstanding tongue$1.1".

formed longitudinally of the log adjacent the inner edge of the topvertical face, a groove formed longitudinally of the log upon the underface and paralleling said tongue, a second groove paralleling saidtongue at one side thereof and opening through said vertical face, and asecond tongue paralleling said first groove at the side of the logadjacent the vertical face, one side of said second tongue forming awall of the first mentioned oove.

3.- As a new article of manufacture, a log hav- I ing one vertical sideface, top and bottom parallel faces extending at right angles to andinwardly from the said vertical face, a pair of inner vertical facesextending vertically from said top and .11;

bottom surfaces in the same plane and paralleling the first verticalface, and a pair of parallel top and bottom surfaces extending from theinner vertical faces to the opposite side of the log and directedobliquely to the vertical faces, said last 3 mentioned surfacesextending from the said opposite side of the log inwardly beyond thelongitudinal center thereof.

BRUCE R. WARD.

